Mobile display devices, such as mobile phones or e-readers, which make use of flexible displays have in their storage position a compact state, for instance for transportation, previewing or phone calls. In the open position they are in a reading/viewing state with the flexible display in extended position supported by a support frame.
A display device that makes use of these two states will have a specific shape that is different from mobile products that do not use flexible displays. This specific shape can make the user interaction with the device mechanically instable or can make it difficult to handle by a user.
A number of product concepts have been developed for devices with flexible displays. The most important concepts are the ‘wrap’, the ‘book’ and the ‘roll’. An example of a ‘wrap’ concept is shown in WO 2008/054206 A2, of a ‘roll’ concept in WO 2006/038171 A1.
One of the problems in user interaction with a mobile e-reader in the use of a prior art “wrap”-type e-reader, as shown in FIG. 1, is shown in FIG. 2. When such a device in the open position is put on a table, it is unstable and will rock or wiggle when a user is interacting with the device, e.g. touching buttons on the device to switch pages. The same problem will occur when the user holds the device in hand while pushing the buttons or touching the display in case it is a touch sensitive display.
In a ‘book’ type e-reader as shown in FIG. 3 for example provided with a dual hinge variant, the bridge between the book halves can be very big, and therefore stick out below the book halves in open position. This can result in the book wobbling when interacted with, while on a table.
On the other hand a problem as shown in FIG. 4 can also occur when the bridge between the book halves is very thin. Depending on the desired shape of the product if the user presses on the central part of the open book device the book halves can flip upwards.
A special form of the book device is the so-called asymmetric book as shown in FIG. 5. In this case one half of the book is thicker than the other. This has some advantages such as weight and volume distribution and touch support. However the wiggle problem is of course even larger in this concept.
Another type of e-reader with a flexible display is a “roll-type” e-reader as shown in FIG. 6. When such a device is put on a table or held by hand, it can also be unstable, similar to the wrap-type device.
It is an object of the invention to improve the physical user interaction with a mobile display device provided with a flexible display.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.